Simulation of Space Manufacturing and Computational Design of Space-Resilient Materials

In-space manufacturing requires careful consideration of environmental conditions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—including vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation, temperature fluctuations, and gravity that are not typically of concern during ground-based manufacturing. We develop multiphysics and multiscale finite element and AI-based models to predict and guide rapid manufacturing processes using frontal polymerization. At the core of this multiphysics framework is a thermo-chemical reaction–diffusion model that describes the evolution of temperature and degree-of-cure fields.

To simulate the propagation of polymerization fronts in composite laminates and woven composites, we have also developed a mesoscale reaction–diffusion model capable of capturing the heterogeneity of the temperature field during the manufacturing process. Furthermore, we are advancing predictive multiphysics and multiscale simulations that span length scales from nanometers to millimeters to simulate and predict the lifetime of materials exposed to atomic oxygen (AO) in LEO.

Team members: Profs. Geubelle, Chew

Sponsors: AFOSR, NSF, NASA

Reaction-diffusion modeling of frontal polymerization in plain weave carbon-dicyclopentadiene composites with a 30% fiber volume fraction: effect of the fiber orientation on the temperature field associated with the polymerization front, showing the presence of the thermal spikes related to the resin-rich pockets. Left: 0/90 fiber orientation; Right: 45/-45 fiber orientation.